Insulated chest construction



July 28, 1964 w. c. JOHNSON 3,142,405

INSULTED CHEST CONSTRUCTION Filed Jan. 21. 1963 INVENTOR:

WILLIAM C. JOHNSON A BY ,@*Q'fy/WSW/M ATT'YS United States Patent OMichi an g Filed Jan. 21, 1963, Ser. No. 252,688

2 Claims. (Cl. 220-9) This invention relates to an insulated chestconstruction wherein an open top sheet metal shell and an open top sheetmetal liner within the shell and spaced from it provide a space for thereception of foamed plastic material as an insulating medium between theshell and the liner.

One object of the invention is to provide an insulated chestconstruction wherein a novel type of breaker strip serves both as aconnecting means between the shell and the liner and a trim strip, thebreaker strip being made of heat insulating material to thereby act as abarrier against heat transmission from the shell to the liner.

Another object is to provide a breaker strip which has connectingflanges along its inner and outer edges adapted to be received inchannels of the shell and liner, such ilanges being formed of flexibleresilient material and having serrated faces engaging the facingsurfaces of the channels, requiring only the insertion of the flangesinto the channels for connecting the shell and liner togethermechanically without the necessity of providing other fastening means.

Still another object is to provide a breaker strip wherein theserrations on the faces of the flanges are inclined in such a way as topermit ready insertion of the flanges into the channels but resistremoval therefrom.

More particularly, it is an object of the invention to provideratchet-like serrations extending along the faces of the flanges of thebreaker strip and insertable under pressure between the sides of thechannels whereby ready insertion is possible during assembly andthereafter dislocation of the breaker strip from the channels isresisted because of the ratchet-like character of the serrations.

Still a further object is to provide an insulated chest constructionwherein the shell and liner have channels which are arranged at rightangles to each other, one channel being substantially horizontal and theother substantially vertical so that the breaker strip may be formedinto sections mitred at the corners and inserted into the horizontalchannels, and the vertical channels then associated with the breakerstrip to facilitate assembly of the shell, liner and breaker striprelative to each other.

Still a further object is to provide an assembly of this character inwhich the space between the shell and liner may be lled with liquid foampolyurethane while the assembly is inverted, the construction of thebreaker strip being such as to resist the pressure exerted by thematerial as it proceeds to foam.

With these and other objects in view, my invention consists in theconstruction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of myinsulated chest construction, whereby the objects above contemplated areattained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claimsand illustrated in detail on the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of an insulated chest construction embodying myinvention;

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view thereof on the line 2 2 of FIG. l;

FIG. 3 isv an end view of a breaker strip used in the construction ofthe chest, and

FIG. 4 is a somewhat similar view showing the breaker strip beinginserted into one of the channels of the chest construction.

ice l On the accompanying drawing I have used the reference numeral 10to indicate a sheet metal liner and 12 a sheet metal shell of a chestconstruction. The cross section of the liner and shell are illustratedin FIG. 2 and FIG. 1 shows how this cross section extends completelyaround the chest and is fabricated by mitering the corners in the usualmanner.

Both the liner 10 and the shell 12 present an open-top cross section andthe liner is smaller in dimensions than the shell to provide a spacebetween the two to receive insulating material 32 which will behereinafter more specifically referred to.

A breaker strip is shown at B, the cross section of which is such as toprovide a central portion 14 having a pair of connecting flanges 16 and18. The flanges 16 and 18 are at substantially right angles to eachother and are provided with ratchet-like serrations 20 and 22 extendingalong their faces. 'I`he breaker strip B also has a shoulder at 24 and alip at 26, the purpose of which will hereinafter appear. In FIG. 1 thebreaker strip B is stip-pled to distinguish it from the metal shell 12and liner 10.

The breaker strip B is formed into a rectangularframelike member bymitering the corners thereof as shown in FIG. 1 and is formed of heatinsulating material such as vinyl or similar plastic material. Thematerial should be somewhat ilexible and resilient in view of thenecessity that the ratchet-like serrations 20 and 22 be somewhatbendable during installation, and operable thereafter to preventdisassembly.

The upper edge of the shell 12 is provided with a channel 28 formed ofsheet metal as shown in FIG. 2 and the upper edge of the liner 10 has achannel 30. These channels are adapted for the reception of theconnecting ilanges 16 and 18 respectively.

In the assembly of the insulated chest construction disclosed, thebreaker strips B are first associated with the shell 12 by insertingtheir horizontal connecting flanges 16 into the channels 28. FIG. 3illustrates the original shape of the ratchet-like serrations 20 andFIG. 4 illustrates them being inserted into the channel 28. It will benoted that the serrations are bein-g bent as shown by solid lines fromtheir original positions shown by dotted lines. This action permitsrelatively easy insertion of the llange into the channel, but removal ofthe flange from the channel is resisted by the action of theratchet-like serrations tending to grip the inner faces of the channel.Thus a means for ready assembly without the necessity of using fasteningelements of any kind is provided.

The next step in the assembly is to insert the liner inside the shell.The shell is first inverted so that the liner can be let down through ituntil the channels 30 of the liner begin to receive the verticalconnecting ilanges 18 of the breaker strip B. Thereupon the channels 30are forced over the flanges 18 and the assembly is ready to receive theinsulating material 32. The arrangement of the channels 28 and 30 atsubstantially right angles to each other permit assembly of the parts inthe manner set forth.

When polyurethane foam insulation is poured as a liquid into theinsulating cavity of the chest construction, it proceeds to foam,thereby exerting pressure against the walls of the liner and shell. Atroublesome problem heretofore has been the sealing of all openingstight enough to prevent the foam from forcing its way out. This has beenaccomplished with tape and sealers but with my construction the singlebreaker strip B, assembled as disclosed, serves as an effective meansagainst escape of the polyurethane and at the same time serves as a trimfor the insulated chest construction when cornpleted. Again thearrangement of the channels 28 and 30 at right angles to each otherlocks all parts in assembled relation after the insulation 32 isinstalled.

After all space between the liner and shell has been completely lledwith the insulating material 32, a suitable base plate (not shown) canbe mounted on the bottom of the shell to complete the assembly.

From the foregoing specification it will be obvious that I have providedan insulated chest construction wherein a breaker strip of simple crosssection serves both as a breaker strip and as a trim, as well as aselfconnecting means in relation to the channels 23 and 30 during theassembly of the chest. Thereafter the breaker strip serves as a means toseal against the escape of the expanding insulating material 32 due tothe foaming action thereof.

Some changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of theparts of my insulated chest construction without departing from the realspirit and purpose of my invention, and it is my intention to cover bymy claims any modified forms of structure or use of mechanicalequivalents which may reasonably be included within their scope.

I claim as my invention:

l. In an insulated chest construction, an opentop sheet metal shell, anopen-top sheet metal liner within and spaced from said shell for thereception of foarned plastic insulating material in the space betweenthe two, the open terminal ends of said shell and said liner beingspaced from each other and thereby defining an open space surroundingthe open upper end of said liner Within the open upper end of saidshell, a breaker strip of heat insulating material spanning said openspace, said breaker strip being L-shaped in cross section and havingconnecting flanges along its inner and outer edges, said shell having ahorizontal channel to receive the connecting flange along the outer edgeof said breaker strip, said liner having a vertical channel to receivethe connecting flange along the inner edge of said breaker strip, saidchannels having the sides thereof substantially parallel to each otherconnecting flanges being formed of flexible resilient material andhaving serrated faces engaging the facing surfaces of said channels.

2. In an insulated chest construction, an open-top sheet metal shell, anopen-top sheet metal liner within said shell and spaced therefrom toprovide space for the reception of foamed plastic insulating material,the open terminal ends of said shell and said liner being spaced fromeach other and thereby defining an open space surrounding the open endof said liner and within the open end of said shell, an L-shaped breakerstrip of heat in sulating material spanning said open space, saidbreaker strip having connecting anges along its inner and outer edges,said shell having a channel to receive the connecting flange along theouter edge of said breaker strip, said liner having a channel at rightangles to said first channel to receive the connecting flange along theinner edge of said breaker strip, said connecting flanges being formedof flexible resilient material and having ratchet-like serrationsextending longitudinally of the faces thereof and insertable underpressure between the sides of said channels.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,689,194 Clark Oct. 30, 1928 2,708,529 Lander et al May 17, 19552,873,041 Allen Feb. 10, 1959

1. IN AN INSULATED CHEST CONSTRUCTION, AN OPEN-TOP SHEET METAL SHELL,AND OPEN-TOP SHEET METAL LINER WITHIN AND SPACED FROM SAID SHELL FOR THERECEPTION OF FOAMED PLASTIC INSULATING MATERIAL IN THE SPACE BETWEEN THETWO, THE OPEN TERMINAL ENDS OF SAID SHELL AND SAID LINER BEING SPACEDFROM EACH OTHER AND THEREBY DEFINING AN OPEN SPACE SURROUNDING THE OPENUPPER END OF SAID LINER WITHIN THE OPEN UPPER END OF SAID SHELL, ABREAKER STRIP OF HEAT INSULATING MATERIAL SPANNING SAID OPEN SPACE, SAIDBREAKER STRIP BEING L-SHAPED IN CROSS SECTION AND HAVING CONNECTINGFLANGES ALONG ITS INNER AND OUTER EDGES, SAID SHELL HAVING A HORIZONTALCHANNEL TO RECEIVE THE CONNECTING FLANGE ALONG THE OUTER EDGE OF SAIDBREAKER STRIP, SAID LINER HAVING A VERTICAL CHANNEL TO RECEIVE THECONNECTING FLANGE ALONG THE INNER EDGE OF SAID BREAKER STRIP, SAIDCHANNELS HAVING THE SIDES THEREOF SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO EACH OTHERCONNECTING FLANGES BEING FORMED OF FLEXIBLE RESILENT MATERIAL AND HAVINGSERRATED FACES ENGAGING THE FACING SURFACES OF SAID CHANNELS.